


Able

by ButterflyCookies (Lightningpelt)



Category: Free!
Genre: Disability, Disabled Character, Gen, M/M, could be read as gen or shippy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2016-06-07
Packaged: 2018-07-12 23:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7127096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightningpelt/pseuds/ButterflyCookies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A chance meeting in a rehabilitation facility’s pool—an unexpectedly meaningful exchange between two reserved swimmers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Able

**Author's Note:**

> Leafing through last year’s SASO folder, I found this. THIS BEAUTIFUL THING that I had forgotten completely. I think I was planning to continue it so that’s why it never got posted anywhere?? I might still continue it. But in any case, this was a fill for a prompt I have long since lost the link to, so if anyone else remembers this prompt or knows who the OP was, let me know!  
> Those nuts and bolts out of the way, I hope you enjoy this~

How the boy moved though the water intrigued him.

Sousuke Yamazaki was leaning against the side of the pool, the elbow of his good arm resting on dry land. He couldn’t seem to scrounge up the motivation to push away from the wall lately, but he didn’t entirely mind. It wasn’t as if Rin could see him, and Rin was the only reason he had to be strong at the moment.

The odd blue-haired boy—the only other person in the water, at that moment—was the first thing that had honestly piqued his interest in weeks.

Sousuke didn’t think he had been at the physiotherapy pool before; at the very least, he had never made his pretense known like _this_. As the injured man watched, the stranger darted by like a fish beneath the water, every muscle in his body moving effortlessly. For a moment Sousuke was certain he was about to smash into the wall, but he flipped at the last moment and pushed off, shooting back the way he had come as if he was mid-race in the most important tournament of his life. But within seconds he seemed to relax, drifting to the surface and floating there for a moment before diving back down. 

Sousuke frankly wasn’t sure if he was more enchanted or pissed off. 

It wasn’t long before the blue-haired boy fell still, letting himself drift more or less aimlessly along the surface of the pool on his back. And Sousuke, deciding that it was as good a time as any to make his presence known, cleared his throat. The stranger jumped, sinking for a moment before recovering. He turned in Sousuke’s general direction, dark-tinted goggles catching the fluorescent light as he shook his head, then glided over until he floated beside the other boy.

“What?”

Sousuke was surprised by the bluntness of the question. “What?”

“ _What?_ ” the blue-haired boy repeated, with just a touch of annoyance. “I was swimming. You interrupted. So _what?_ ”

Sousuke decided to cut his losses. “You’re new here.”

“Yes.”

Again Sousuke was surprised. He was a man of few words, and could often get away with it because the average person was a bit more verbose. This blue-haired _chap_ didn’t seem to be playing the usual game.

That didn’t mean that _Sousuke_ had to adjust his approach.

With a grunt that didn’t quite qualify as words, he turned away from the other boy. But the blue-haired boy simply floated over to his other side.

“You’re depressed.”

“What?” Sousuke growled flatly, but felt a shiver run up his spine nonetheless. He was a bit unnerved by the tinted goggles the other was wearing; he couldn’t see his eyes.

“I can tell. The water tells me, with how you’re moving in it. You’re depressed.”

“What business is that of yours?” Sousuke muttered, but the other boy shook his head.

“You’re the same as me.”

Sousuke was about to ask another question—more angrily, this time—but the strange boy vanished beneath the water before he could. His expression darkening, Sousuke gave chase across the pool without thinking.

It only took a second for him to begin floundering, gasping as his head went under suddenly. He tried to move his right arm and regain his balance, but realized too late that it was a useless effort.

Before panic could truly take over, though, someone grabbed his left elbow.

“So that’s it.”

Sousuke tried to lash out—tried to punch the bastard with his free hand. But the truth was, he didn’t have a free hand to strike with. His one and only arm was held fast by this stranger.

Tears were the last things he wanted, in that moment, yet he felt them stinging at the corners of his eyes as the realization hit him yet again. He had forgotten—again. He had remembered—again. Stupid.

“Let go of me!” he snapped, trying to wrench himself free and failing.

“You’ll drown,” was the simple response, and Sousuke growled.

“Bullshit. Just because I’m like this doesn’t mean I’m helpless.”

“You were about to drown.”

“Bullshit,” Sousuke repeated. “I just lost my balance for a second.”

The blue-haired boy didn’t reply, but didn’t let go of Sousuke’s arm; pulled the other boy through the water and back to the solid wall. Sousuke could have yelled with frustration, but bit the impulse back.

Sousuke let his arm be lifted up over the edge of the pool again, resting against the concrete as he caught his breath. Even though he kept his eyes narrowed and averted, he knew that the boy hadn’t left his side.

“I know.”

“… What?” Sousuke grunted, and the stranger leaned against the wall beside him, resting his chin on the ledge.

“I know how you feel.”

Sousuke shot him a distasteful glare. “Bull…” he grunted, but the stranger shook his head.

“The water wants to help you, just like it helps me. You should let it.”

“Are you here for psychiatric problems?” Sousuke asked angrily, but the other didn’t bite.

“I’m here because I’ve lost something, just like you.”

“I see four limbs,” Sousuke said angrily. “You can’t say you understand what I’m going through.”

“I can.”

“Bull—” Sousuke began, only to cut himself off as he rounded on the other. The blue-haired boy was removing his tinted goggles, and Sousuke’s breath caught at the lurid sight beneath.

“It was an infection,” he said softly. “The doctors don’t even know what caused it. They think I might have picked up something swimming in a river or a lake.”

“Shit…” Sousuke breathed, then looked away. “I mean… shit.”

“It’s okay,” the boy said. “The water comforts me. It wants to comfort you too, if you’d let it.”

Sousuke was about to object, but somehow the words died on his tongue. He missed swimming; he hated being afraid of the water. He wanted to believe what this strange blind boy was telling him, despite how stupidly sentimental it sounded.

“I’m Haru.” It was an abrupt introduction, but somehow it made the interaction feel more solid—more real; more personal.

“Sousuke,” the other replied, without really thinking. And then Haru had taken his arm again.

“Come on. You won’t drown.”

And, on only that assurance from someone who may as well be a stranger, Sousuke let himself be pulled away from the wall and into the water.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments give me life! Notes on [the tumblr version of this fic](http://niaowrites.tumblr.com/post/145138467263/able) are also appreciated! Thanks for reading~


End file.
